System and method for realtime community information exchange

ABSTRACT

System and method for traffic mapping service are disclosed for allowing plurality of users having each a navigation device to transmit their locations to a server and optionally to signal to the server their requested destination. The system and method are further capable of calculating traffic parameters such as current traffic speed at a given road based on the momentary locations of the users. The system and method of the invention may also calculate and advise the users of preferred roads to take in order to arrive at the requested location with minimum delay.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are known services for traffic reporting, for example, radiotraffic reporting and websites which provide such services.

Additionally, there are services which calculate estimated preferredroutes, for example, based on pre-calculated stored data, such as, forexample, data on traffic lights, average velocities, roads conditionsand other suitable data. The calculation of the estimated preferredroute by these services usually does not take into account the actualcurrent traffic conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification.The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation,together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following detailed description when readwith the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of roads system and members ofservice for mapping traffic according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary system for providingmapping traffic service according to embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of another exemplary system forproviding mapping traffic service according to embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for providing trafficmapping service according to embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for providing trafficmapping service according to embodiments of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale.For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggeratedrelative to other elements for clarity. Further, where consideredappropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures toindicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that thepresent invention may be practiced without these specific details. Inother instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have notbeen described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a service which mayconstantly provide a real time updated traffic reports and may calculatepreferred routes based on real time data on the traffic conditions.

Embodiments of the present invention may enable traffic mapping and/orreporting, wherein members of the service may transmit their locationand other data to a central server. Other data may comprise one or moreof type of mobility (e.g. car, motorcycle, bicycle and the like),destinations/origins (e.g., home address, work address and the like),alerts, traffic information, messages and/or any other suitable data.The central server may map all the members and thus, for example, createa traffic map.

The members of the service may be grouped in groups of members, forexample, group of members which advance in a same or similar routeand/or with the same or similar location and/or destination. A user ofthe system and method according to embodiments of the invention may beascribed to a group, for example, of members advancing in the same orsimilar route and at least the most of them are ahead of him. The usermay receive updates from the system on the members of the group, forexample, location and/or speed of members of the group and/or otherinformation based on inputs received from the members of the group. Theuser may further receive updated relevant traffic information, inferredby the system based on actual information received from other members inthe same group.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is a schematic illustration ofroads system 100 and members 10 a-10 l and 10 x of a service for mappingtraffic according to one embodiment of the present invention. Roadssystem 100 is an exemplary road system and the present invention is notlimited to road system 100, its configuration as may be reflected inFIG. 1 or to any other road system. Each of members 10 a-10 k maytransmit his/her location to a Real Time Server (RTS) 180. For example,each of members 10 a-10 k may have a navigation device (shown, forexample, in FIG. 2) which may be in communication with RTS 180. RTS 180may receive from the navigation device the location of the member, forexample, periodically. For example, member 10 a may be located atlocation 120 at a specific time and may transmit his/her location to RTS180. RTS 180 may record the location received from, for example, member10 a, along with a time stamp indicating the time at which the locationof member 10 a was recorded.

Member 10 a may also send its destination to RTS 180, for example,destination 110. Alternatively, RTS 180 may estimate a destination 110of member 10 a, taking into account, for example, the general direction,current road, historical tracks of member 10 a and/or populardestinations and/or based on other suitable parameters. RTS 180 mayautomatically define a group of members 10 (confined with square dottedline), for example, which their momentary location may be relevant toon-going calculation of a route for member 10 a from location 120 todestination 110. For example, each of the members in members group 10may advance in one of several possible routes towards destination 110and may be located between location 120 of member 10 a and destination110, for example, members 10 b-10 k. Member 10 a may be defined as auser member 10 a of group 10, which may be grouped according torequirements of member 10 a. Additionally, members of group 10 may beselected by RTS 180 according to, for example, the type of mobility ofthe member, for example, if the member travels by car, motorcycle,bicycle, by foot, or any other type of transportation. The members ofgroup 10 may be selected, for example, to have similar type oftransportation/mobility. Additionally, the members of group 10 may beselected, for example, according to their direction, e.g., in case amember of the service is located in a route between location 120 of usermember 10 a and destination 110, but advances in the opposite direction,e.g., from destination 110 to location 120, this member may not beincluded in group 10. Additionally or alternatively, the membership in agroup may be limited to members in a certain distance from the momentarylocation of the user member 10 a. In some embodiments, user member 10 amay instruct RTS 180 according to which parameters the members of group10 may be selected, for example, the parameters mentioned above and/orother parameters, such as, for example, the kind of road preferred byuser member 10 a, e.g., a broad road, a narrow road, a main road, ahighway, a sideway, or any other kind of road. Additionally oralternatively, member 10 a may specify a road, for example, a specificroad number, which should be excluded from or included in the route.

Group of members 10 may change with time according to changes insituations of the members, changes in the traffic in which members takepart, etc. A member may be added to a group, for example group 10, ifhis/her respective parameters meet the definitions of the group. Amember may be removed from a group, for example group 10, if his/herrespective parameters no longer meet the definitions of the group. Forexample, members may be added to the group 10 if, for example, anadditional member enters a route between the location 120 of member 10 aand destination 110 and/or if a member, which was disconnected from RTS180 for some reason, re-connects to RTS 180 at a certain later moment.For example, member 10 l may enter a route between location 120 anddestination 110 from road 112 and then, for example, it may be added togroup 10. Members may be subtracted from the group 10 if, for example, amember is no longer located in a route between the location 120 ofmember 10 a and destination 110, for example, the member departs fromthe route, or, for example, if a member disconnects from RTS 180 at acertain time. For example, member 10 e may deviate to road 114 and then,for example, may not be located in a route between location 120 anddestination 110 and thus, for example, may be subtracted from group 10.In other case member 10 a may by-pass one of the members of group 10 andthus, for example, the by-passed member will no longer be located in aroute to destination 110 between user member 10 a and destination 110and therefore it may be subtracted from group 10.

RTS 180 may receive the locations of the members of group 10, forexample, periodically. RTS 180 may create a dynamic traffic map showingthe locations of the members of group 10 based on the received locationsand the changes in group 10. RTS 180 may also calculate the velocitiesof the members, for example, based on the changes in the locationsbetween one update to the next one, for example, in case the locationsupdates are received periodically. Member 10 a may receive from RTS 180the traffic map, which may be displayed, for example, on a pre-loadedmap on a display of, for example, the personal navigation device (shownin FIG. 2). The traffic map may dynamically change and show the locationand movement of the members of group 10 and/or the changes in group 10.Each of the members of the service may request from RTS 180 that theirlocation will not be shown to other members.

RTS 180 may receive from the members of the service other traffic datain addition to location data, such as, for example, alerts and/ornotifications on traffic jams, long periods of red traffic lights,accidents, blocked lanes, or any other information that may be ofassistance for a traveler of that route, for example user member 10 a.RTS 180 may prepare a graphical representation of traffic data whichforms a dynamic traffic map that may be displayed to member 10 a with orwithout geographical map, street map, road map, etc. Based on thedynamic map Member 10 a may decide on a preferred route to reachdestination 110. Additionally or alternatively, according to someembodiments of the present invention, RTS 180 may calculate based on thecontinuously updating location data and optionally on the other trafficdata received and/or calculated, a preferred route to reach destination110, for example, according to one or more characteristic priorities andmay notify member 10 a on this route. Member 10 a may request to receivethe preferred route from RTS 180. Member 10 a may define for RTS 180 thecharacteristics of the preferred route, for example, the shortest route,the fastest route, route that passes or not passes in certain roadsand/or areas, and/or other preferences of member 10 a.

RTS 180 may re-calculate the preferred route, for example, periodicallyand/or upon request of user member 10 a and/or upon change in thecircumstances, for example, changes in traffic conditions, thedisclosure of a new road accident which was not included in preciousconsiderations, defective traffic lights, or any other change in theconditions that may have an impact on the decisions of member 10 aregarding selecting a route to go to, for example, destination 110. RTS180 may notify user member 10 a on the updated preferred route forexample, if the update in the preferred route is relevant to member 10a, for example, periodically and/or upon change in the preferred route.RTS 180 may take into account the current location of member 10 a inorder to decide whether the updated preferred route is relevant tomember 10 a.

In the example of FIG. 1, member 10 a may reach destination 110 throughjunction A or through junction B. Junction A may be a junction withtraffic light 116. RTS 180 may be notified on traffic light 116 by oneor more of the members of group 10, for example, by members 10 k and/or10 i. Additionally or alternatively, data on traffic lights and/ortraffic signs may be stored in RTS 180 and may be integrated by RTS 180into the traffic map. RTS 180 may receive notifications and/or alerts onother traffic event. For example, RTS 180 may receive a notification iftraffic light 116 is out of order. In other example, RTS 180 may receivea notice on a blocked lane at location 118, for example, near junctionB. RTS 180 may integrate the received information into the traffic mapand/or calculate based on the received information a preferred route toreach destination 110. For example, the blocked lane extending fromlocation 118 and backwards (with respect to the traffic direction) maycause a traffic jam zone 119. RTS 180 may identify traffic jam zone 119based, for example, on the average velocity of the members located injam zone 119 or in areas preceding jam zone 119.

Additionally, RTS 180 may enable exchange of messages between members ofthe service. A message sent by a member may be transmitted, at thechoice of said members and/or of RTS 180, to all the members of theservice or to one or more groups of members which may be selected, forexample, by the sending member and/or by RTS 180, for example, accordingto the relevance of the information to the members. Alternatively, amember may specify the members of the service to which the messageshould be sent, namely to each one or by groups or by any other relevantmethod of definition. The messages may include, for example, trafficinformation and/or alerts, such as, for example, police speed traps,accidents, special events along the route, and/or any other kind ofmessages. The Messages may be displayed on the display of the personalnavigation device (shown in FIG. 2) or may be presented to the user onany other display or vocally, or any other means of system-userinterface.

Additionally, member, such as for example member 10 x, may request fromRTS 180 advise or data of a preferred route from a certain startingpoint to a certain destination, and RTS 180 may calculate a preferredroute, for example, based on information received from members of theservice in relevant locations as well as based on personal preferencesof member 10 x. Member 10 x may request to receive from RTS 180 apreferred route, for example, from location 120 to destination 110. RTS180 may calculate the preferred route based on, for example, informationreceived from the members of group 10 as described in detail above.

Each of the members of the service, for example, each of members 10 a-10l, may be a user member, for which RTS 180 may create a group of membersas described in detail above, for example, according to a beginningpoint, for example, a current location of the user member or otherbeginning point defined by the user member, and a required destinationpoint, for example, defined by the user member. Additionally oralternatively, each of the users may define a group of his own accordingto, for example, parameters mentioned above and/or other suitableparameters.

Additionally, a member of the service may choose specific members toconstruct a group, from which he may receive information regarding theirlocation and/or other traffic information and/or other messages, forexample, a group of family members and/or friends and/or a work team orany other chosen group of members.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which is a schematic illustration of anexemplary system 200 for providing mapping traffic service according toembodiments of the present invention. System 200 may include a pluralityof personal navigation devices 210, each of the navigation devices maybelong to a member of the mapping traffic service. Personal navigationdevices 210 may include, for example, GPS navigation device, mobilephones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), Personal Navigation Devices(PND), car PC, mobile computers, or any other suitable device able toinclude, receive and manipulate and/or operate navigation software. Theplurality of personal navigation devices 210 with connectivitycapability may be in communication with real time server (RTS) 220, forexample, by a cellular network or wireless network or any other mobilecommunication means. The connection between navigation devices 210 andRTS 220 may be made by any known connection protocol, for example,Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP),Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)or any other suitable protocol. Members of the service may send to RTS220, for example, by personal navigation devices 210, their momentarylocation and/or speed details for example, periodically for example, asdescribed in detail above with reference to FIG. 1. Additionally, themembers may send to RTS 220, for example, by personal navigation devices210, information on different events, for example, traffic informationand/or alerts and/or messages to other members, for example, asdescribed in detail above.

In some embodiments of the present invention, personal navigation device210 may avoid sending redundant information to RTS 220. Personalnavigation device 210 may receive and store parameters such as anaverage speed in a road, known traffic signs, traffic lights and/orother information. Personal navigation device 210 may avoid from sendinginformation that is already known and/or data which may not add to theknown information. This may allow an efficient informationcommunication.

Personal navigation device 210 may automatically send momentary locationand/or speed data of the member to RTS 220, for example, periodically,for example by a software included in navigation device 210. Thesoftware may be provided and/or installed on navigation device 210, forexample, upon registration of the user of navigation device 210 as amember of the traffic mapping service. Other information that may besent to RTS 220 by navigation device 210 may be entered by the membermanually, for example, by keyboard 216 which may be included innavigation device 210 or by calling a service center or by any othersuitable kind of communication.

Members of the traffic mapping service may receive, for example,displayable notices on a display 212 and/or vocal notices by a speaker214, each may be included on navigation device 210. A map may bedisplayed on display 212, on which locations of members may bedisplayed. The map may be downloaded and/or installed on navigationdevice 210. Alternatively, navigation device 210 may receive map datafrom a tile map server 240, for example, by streaming the map datathrough a network or in any other suitable manner. Each of the membersmay request that his location will not be displayed on the map ondisplay 212 of other users. Other traffic information may be receivedfrom RTS 220 and displayed on the map, for example, traffic lightslocation and status, accidents, blocked lanes and other informationwhich may, for example, be received from users of the service and/or maybe calculated by the service based on information received from users ofthe service. As described in detail above, a member may request andreceive from RTS 220 a preferred route to reach a desired destination.The preferred route may be displayed on display 212, with or withoutadditional map-associated data such as geographical map, road map,streets map and the like. A member, additionally or alternatively, mayreceive from RTS 220 vocal navigation instructions by speaker 214. Thepreferred route may be updated by RTS 220, as described in detail abovewith reference to FIG. 1, and the updated route may be displayed on themap display 212. An updated traffic map and/or updated route may becalculated periodically and/or upon request of the member or upon asignificant change in the road and/or traffic conditions.

Additionally, a member may receive from RTS 220 alerts, information andmessages from other members, which may be displayed on display 212and/or may be notified vocally by speaker 214.

A member of the service may define for RTS 220 the kinds of informationand/or alerts he wishes to receive, and then, for example, RTS 220 maytransmit to the navigation device of the member information according tothe member's preferences.

RTS 220 may calculate for each user member the group of members whichmay provide information relevant to the user member, for example,according to parameters as described in detail above. The group maydynamically change and may be calculated, for example, periodicallyand/or upon change in the situation of the group members and/or uponchange in the preferences of the user member.

A preferred route may be calculated by a routing server 230. Routingserver 230 may receive from RTS 220 traffic information and updates inreal time, which may be received by RTS 220 from the members of theservice. Additionally, routing server 230 may optionally receive fromRTS 220 definitions of preferred routes of user members. Based on thereceived information and the optional definitions of a preferred route,routing server 230 may calculate and/or send to RTS 220 the preferredroute for each user member. Routing server 230 may re-calculate and/orsend to RTS 220 updates of the preferred routes, for example,periodically or upon receiving a traffic information update or uponrequest from RTS 220. It shall be noted that according to embodiments ofthat two or more of tile map server 240, RTS 220 and routing server 230may be embodied as units within one device. Additionally, each one oftile map server 240, RTS 220 and routing server 230 may be implementedin hardware, in software or in a combination of them.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which is a schematic illustration ofanother exemplary system 200A for providing mapping traffic serviceaccording to embodiments of the present invention. System 200A mayinclude a plurality of personal navigation devices 210, real time server(RTS) 220, routing server 230 and tile map server 240, which may bysimilar to the same elements included in system 200 and/or function asdescribed with reference to FIG. 2. Additionally, System 200A mayinclude a website 250. Website 250 may be in communication with at leastone of personal navigation devices 210 and/or with RTS 220. Informationmay be uploaded to website 250, for example, by members of the service,for example, through personal navigation devices 210 and/or manually. Atleast a portion of the uploaded information may be communicated to eachof personal navigation device 210 which may be in communication withwebsite 250. The information uploaded to website 250 may be, forexample, location information, velocity information, traffic informationand/or other information and/or messages and/or alerts uploaded by auser. Website 250 may indicate traffic information and/or otherinformation, messages and/or alerts communicated to website 250 by, forexample, RTS 220 and/or a member of the service.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which is a flow chart illustrating amethod for providing traffic mapping service according to embodiments ofthe present invention. As shown in block 310, the method may include,for example, receiving information on location and respective time ofeach of plurality of members. As shown in block 320 the method mayinclude, for example, providing a traffic map based on said locationsand said respective times, for example, as described in detail abovewith reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5, which is a flow chart illustrating amethod for providing traffic mapping service according to embodiments ofthe present invention. As shown in block 410, the method may include,for example, receiving a required destination from a member of theservice. As shown in block 420 the method may include, for example,creating a group of members including members of the service which sharesame group definitions, for example, advance in the direction of saiddestination, for example, as described in detail above with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in block 430, the method may include, forexample, providing the preferred route to reach the required destinationaccording to location data and/or traffic information received from saidgroup members and/or inferred based on information received from saidgroup members, as described in detail above with reference to FIGS. 1and 2.

While certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, andequivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is,therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended tocover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spiritof the invention.

1-35. (canceled)
 36. A system comprising: a server configured to:receive location information from a set of navigation devices eachnavigation device of the set of navigation devices being associated witha member of a navigation service; identify a first navigation deviceassociated with a first member of the navigation service; identify acurrent location of the first navigation device; identify a destinationfor the first member; identify a set of possible routes between thecurrent location and the destination; select a subset of navigationdevices from the set of navigation devices based on whether thenavigation devices of the set of navigation devices are on one of thepossible routes between the current location and the destination; andsend the location information received from the subset of navigationdevices to the first navigation device.
 37. The system of claim 36,wherein the server is further configured to: identify an updated currentlocation of the first navigation device; and filter the subset ofnavigation devices based on whether the navigation devices of the groupof navigation devices are continuing to follow at least one possibleroutes between the updated current location and the destination.
 38. Thesystem of claim 36, wherein the server is further configured to:identify an updated current location of the first navigation device; andadd one or more additional navigation devices to the subset ofnavigation devices based on whether the additional navigation devicesare continuing to follow at least one possible route between the updatedcurrent location and the destination.
 39. The system of claim 36,wherein the server is further configured to select the subset ofnavigation devices further based on whether the navigation devices ofthe set of navigation devices are within a certain distance of thecurrent location.
 40. The system of claim 36, wherein the server isfurther configured to select the subset of navigation devices furtherbased on whether the navigation devices of the set of navigation devicesare advancing towards the current location and not the destination. 41.The system of claim 36, wherein the server is further configured toselect the subset of navigation devices further based on input receivedfrom the first member identifying one or more roads to be excluded froma route followed by the first navigation device to the destination. 42.The system of claim 36, wherein the server is further configured toselect the subset of navigation devices further based on input receivedfrom the first member identifying one or more roads to be included froma route followed by the first navigation device to the destination. 43.The system of claim 36, wherein the server is further configured to senda traffic map for display at the first navigation device and informationidentify the location and movement of the navigation devices of thesubset of navigation devices.
 44. The system of claim 36, wherein theserver is further configured to: receive traffic data from one of thenavigation devices of the subset of navigation devices; and determine apreferred route for the first navigation device to the destination basedon the received traffic data.
 45. The system of claim 36, wherein theserver is further configured to identify the destination by estimatingthe destination based on at least a direction of movement of the firstnavigation device, a current road corresponding to the current location,and historical tracks of the first member.
 46. A method comprising:receiving, by a server, location information from a set of navigationdevices each navigation device of the set of navigation devices beingassociated with a member of a navigation service; identifying, by theserver, a first navigation device associated with a first member of thenavigation service; identifying, by the server, a current location ofthe first navigation device; identifying, by the server, a destinationfor the first member; identifying, by the server, a set of possibleroutes between the current location and the destination; selecting, bythe server, a subset of navigation devices from the set of navigationdevices based on whether the navigation devices of the set of navigationdevices are on one of the possible routes between the current locationand the destination; and sending the location information received fromthe subset of navigation devices to the first navigation device.
 47. Themethod of claim 46, further comprising: identifying an updated currentlocation of the first navigation device; and filtering the subset ofnavigation devices based on whether the navigation devices of the groupof navigation devices are continuing to follow at least one possibleroutes between the updated current location and the destination.
 48. Themethod of claim 46, further comprising: identifying an updated currentlocation of the first navigation device; and adding one or moreadditional navigation devices to the subset of navigation devices basedon whether the additional navigation devices are continuing to follow atleast one possible route between the updated current location and thedestination.
 49. The method of claim 46, wherein selecting the subset ofnavigation devices is further based on whether the navigation devices ofthe set of navigation devices are within a certain distance of thecurrent location.
 50. The method of claim 46, wherein selecting thesubset of navigation devices is further based on whether the navigationdevices of the set of navigation devices are advancing towards thecurrent location and not the destination.
 51. The method of claim 46,wherein selecting the subset of navigation devices is further based oninput received from the first member identifying one or more roads to beexcluded from a route followed by the first navigation device to thedestination.
 52. The method of claim 46, wherein selecting the subset ofnavigation devices is further based on input received from the firstmember identifying one or more roads to be included from a routefollowed by the first navigation device to the destination.
 53. Themethod of claim 46, further comprising sending a traffic map for displayat the first navigation device and information identify the location andmovement of the navigation devices of the subset of navigation devices.54. The method of claim 46, further comprising: receiving traffic datafrom one of the navigation devices of the subset of navigation devices;and determining a preferred route for the first navigation device to thedestination based on the received traffic data.
 55. The method of claim46, wherein identifying the destination includes estimating thedestination based on at least a direction of movement of the firstnavigation device, a current road corresponding to the current location,and historical tracks of the first member.